California wildflowers are so bright they can be seen from space

After struggling for years through a drought, recent rain in Southern California has caused wildflowers to bloom so amazingly bright that they can be seen from space, Angela Fritz reports for The Washington Post. Photos were captured by Planet Labs, an American Earth imaging private company based in San Francisco. (California Poppy Reserve)

"The California poppy is native to California and Mexico. It’s actually considered a weed by some people, because they can be overwhelming in good (read: rainy) weather. It’s small and it grows fairly close to the ground. Its stems grow to about 12 inches and the flower itself is no more than 2 to 3 inches across when it’s fully open," Fritz writes. "It’s a particularly fun flower to watch throughout the day because it won’t open until the sun hits it. It looks like they wake up in sunny weather and sleep through the foggy days. At dusk, they curl up for the night (Carrizo Plain National Monument)

The Carrizo Plain National Monument "is booming with lupine, poppies, fiddleneck and baby blue eyes," Fritz writes. "People in the know say that if you want to see the flowers at Carrizo, you should go now. If the weather turns hot and dry, the blossoms will fade quickly.the sun hits it. Similar scenes are occurring in Los Padres National Forest and Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge. (Carrizo Plain National Monument: Getty images by Robyn Beck)